Foot switches are used in many applications: industrial, commercial, medical, residential, etc. Industrial applications may include operation of power tools, conveyers, lifting devices, and many other applications. Often, plural foot operated switches are utilized to control more than one operation or function. One common example is the up and down motion of a lifting or vertical positioning device.
A typical switch arrangement for such a multi-operation device essentially consists of two separate foot switches which are toggled by two separate actuators. In operating such a dual switch, the user must remove their foot from one actuator and strike the other actuator. This allows for the possibility of the user partially striking the actuator, or missing the actuator entirely. This creates error, confusion, and fatigue. Moreover, these traditional dual switches are typically rectangular or block shape and include no ergonomic features for providing comfort and reducing fatigue to the user. Furthermore, due to their generic block shape, these traditional dual switches provide no haptic or tactile feedback to the user regarding the location of the actuators or the correct positioning of the user's foot with respect to the switch device. As a result, the user must constant visually assess the position of their foot upon and proximate to the switch, thus causing operational delays and lending to the fatigue of the user.